Penance
by Sartmang
Summary: The hokage has been declared missing, thus leaving Konoha at risk. It is up to Sasuke to find Naruto again, with the help of unlikely companions. Will Naruto's absence spark a change in people who love him? Two years post Gaiden.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The day started in its typical fashion. The sun emerged quickly as if telling people that it was time to wake, and a cool breeze flowed throughout neighborhoods in a sing-song manner. The rain season ended only two weeks ago, leaving a lush of greens shining with dew for children to touch and smell. These moments exemplified of a country of prolonged peace and continuing prosperity.

The citizens of Konoha awoke to do various jobs – some prepared for upcoming missions, some began opening up family shops, and others started making breakfast for their families. Uzumaki Hinata, a well-respected 35-year old citizen Konoha, was among those who were making breakfast on this day. Being a housewife was a job that many found suited for her when considering her soft-spoken, well-mannered personality. She served her husband well and rarely admonished her children with harsh words or strict punishments. After discovering that she was pregnant again during her mid-20s, she retired her status as a joinin and decided to maintain her role as the house matriarch of the Uzumaki family.

And while she loved being the wife of the current hokage, and being a mother to two children that proudly represented both her and her husband's personalities, she found herself missing the shinobi life. Shortly after losing her cousin Neji during the Fourth Ninja War, she began to see the Hyuuga name as a sign of strength. Ironically it took the loss of Neji, the strongest person of their clan, to die in order for her to realize her own strength. Perhaps that was how she meant to grieve for him properly; she had to finally gain her own confidence. Since his death, she continued to find comfort in her familial branches prior to marriage and thus slowly became stronger. She swore to one day merge the main and branch houses of the Hyuuga in his honor in order to celebrate that his life was not in vain. Unfortunately, she had failed to make this happen due marriage, children, and the death of her father.

As she continued to whisk eggs for breakfast, she sadly recalled her conversation with her younger sister from years ago. It was three days after the funeral, and both were clearly mourning. Despite this period of grieving, the leader of the clan had to be decided immediately in order to gain balance in the houses. By age, it was meant to be Hinata.

\- FLASHBACK

" _Sister, I cannot take this title away from you," Hanabi said. "The head of the Hyuuga family is not meant for the second sister." Their tears had long dried, as they had been crying a year in advance since his diagnosis. The village's top healers could not stop the unknown disease that struck the head of the Hyuuga. His steady decline was marked by his paling skin, high fever, and odd hallucinations. Given his constant pain, death came as a sad blessing. Neither sisters could bear to hear their father uttering the name of their late mother._

 _"_ _Nonsense, Hanabi," said Hinata, while gesturing to herself. "Look at me. A housewife cannot maintain the strength of both houses."_

 _"_ _You are stronger than me, sister!" Hanabi said with defiance. "It was proven during our last match!"_

 _"_ _That match was over 10 years ago, and I was still serving as a jounin. My skills have declined."_

 _"_ _You won despite having Boruto the year before-"_

 _"_ _This title was not meant for me, as father has said before-"_

 _"_ _You know he meant to rescind that statement prior to falling ill."_

 _"_ _I would not have agreed to it then, nor will I agree to it now," Hinata said, knowing that each word was hurting both her and her sister._

 _She had always dreamed of the chance to merge the two houses, and this was her moment to do it. She more than enough had the credentials now; she was the eldest daughter of the late leader, wife of the hokage who was a sworn brother to both houses, and at least within the top 10 skilled ninjas of her clan. The branches had been at odds with each other for years, and she no longer wished for such separation. It was what Neji would have wanted, she was sure._

 _But she just couldn't do it._

 _Her current life would not allow her to fulfill it. Boruto, their eldest son, began to lash out shortly after his father, Naruto, took office. She knew his behavior too well as it mimicked the hokage's actions from years ago; it marked loneliness and insecurities that were often too painful for a mother to watch. She needed to stay around for him as a support. Hinata understood that taking the title of the matriarch of the main branch of the Hyuuga family would hinder her new family; she would be abandoning not only her son but the baby who was named after her late cousin - Himawari._

 _Her service was to her current family, but she felt a pang in her heart for not being able to fully be there for her previous family. She wondered if Neji would be disappointed in her decision. He would often say to her that his actions were for "the path of the Hyuuga." She decided that this path was meant for someone without as many responsibilities. Hanabi was perfect._

 _"_ _Even if I were elected to as the head of the main branch, my first order of business would be to appoint you as my successor and then step down."_

 _"_ _Sister, please!"_

 _"_ _Please take the title and hold your name proudly as our new leader."_

 _They hadn't spoken to each other since then._

 _\- END FLASHBACK_

"Mom?" said a young voice that alerted Hinata. She turned to see her son looking at her in an odd way. He was always so quick to worry.

"Oh! Good morning, Boruto."

"Are you okay? You looked sad for a moment."

"I'm fine, dear. Just making breakfast. "

"Do you need any help?" Boruto asked. Since Naruto became Hokage, Boruto had appointed himself to be the stand-in man of the house. It was a great improvement from two years ago, when he used to cause trouble at every waking moment.

"I'm alright, thank you. Could you wake up your father, though? Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

Hinata watched her son's facial expression change from slight annoyance to amused acceptance. She knew he wanted to wake up Naruto, but he was also annoyed that his father wasn't up already - it meant less time with the family overall.

"I think Himawari is already doing it, though.." Boruto trailed off while scratching his ear and looking out the window. "I'm too big to jump on him to wake him up, Kaa-chan."

Hinata smiled. What a sweet brother to allow his sister the honor of waking up Dad. She remembered how they used to fight over who could do it just a few years ago.

"Then could you help me set up the table then? The food won't take long to serve."

"Leave it to me!" Boruto said with a big grin. "I'll get it done in less than 5 secon-"

"Don't be hasty, Bo-chan."

"Kaa-chan, please. I'm not a kid anymore. You don't need to call me by that na-"

A scream suddenly erupted from Naruto's room, startling both mother and son.

"Himawari!" Boruto yelled.

Hinata could feel a slight chill down her back and could only hope no one was hurt. Naruto should be quick to protect their daughter, but that scream was too piercing, too alarming. Himawari had never made that sound before. Hinata quickly ran to the main bedroom with eyes already engaged for battle. Boruto was quick to follow her. While he was chuunin, she did not feel comfortable having him battle someone who could penetrate their home.

Himawari was found crying, backing away from her mother and father's bed. Boruto ran to help her stand up, not taking in the state of the room. Hinata stood in front of both of her children, as her eyes widened at what her daughter just saw. Holding her lip, she assessed the room for clues and memorized every detail to report to Shikamaru.

 _We only have seconds_ , Hinata thought.

"Nii-chan! He's gone! I couldn't find him anywhere!" Himawari yelled, grabbing her brother's jacket. Boruto was too frazzled to understand. He could take missions assigned by his father, but his shock at hearing Himawari scream and knowing something was wrong was inhibiting his logic. He had to maintain his emotions.

"That's it?! He might have woken early for once-"

"No, Nii-chan!" Himawari said, rapidly shaking her head. She frantically gestured to look at something. "Look at Mama's and Papa's bed!"

"What?" he yelled back in frustration.

Boruto heard a dull drop and saw that his father's prosthetic arm had just fallen off a bed that was dripping red. His signature cape was in shreds, and pieces of his clothes were scattered across the room.

 _He's dead,_ Boruto thought. _Dad's dead. He's dead he's dead he's-_

His mother began to spin, creating a barrier that covered both him and his sister.

"Mom?!" Boruto yelled questioningly. What was going on?

"Brace yourselves! Once we recover from this blast, we are fleeing to the main house!" she ordered, and soon the room began to brighten. While holding on tightly to his sister, Boruto looked around the room quickly for the cause of bright light. He saw multiple white papers crumbling, realizing that they were bombs. He quickly noticed his father's messy handwriting on the floor before being blinded by oncoming explosions.

 _Run._

The house was suddenly engulfed in light. The sound of the Uzumaki home bursting into flames was heard throughout the entire village, alarming close friends and citizens. The remaining three members of the Uzumaki family continued to flee.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was walking through the woods, brooding. When considering his distance, he was two weeks away from Konoha and three days away from the Cloud Country. It had been two years since he returned from his mission, and Naruto had granted him the ability to stay at Konoha and take typical missions. He was meant to be at home on a more frequent basis in order to support his wife and now teenage daughter.

However, he was not often home and his absences were months instead of 2-3 weeks that was expected from typical jounin level shinobi. He frequently asked for the most difficult missions and made sure to be precise in his execution of duties. It was the dirty work of Konoha he asked for, and it constantly took a toll on his health. It wasn't healthy and he knew it. His constant absences were also the cause of the increasing tension between him and his wife, Sakura.

Sakura Uchiha had grown into a lovely woman, but even Sasuke could tell that the wrinkles in her eyes were born from stress rather than from laughter. It caused him incredible pain to know that he was likely the cause of this, but he had no idea how to handle their situation. They never seemed to be in agreement about anything since his return home from two years ago, and their arguments continued even in letters. With each sweet letter that came from his daughter, he expected a curt response from Sakura. He had not heard from them in a month, and he was sure it was due to Sakura not wanting to talk to him again.

He did not want to take the time to review his actions, and his perfectionist attitude led him to put the most difficult things at the bottom of the list. It was easier to take life or death missions than to become a doting husband or a guiding father.

"To protect Konoha," Sasuke muttered to himself as he attempted to push away his guilt once more. There was a reason to his actions, even if he didn't want to admit why.

He could not help but remember one of his conversations with Naruto. It was still awkward seeing Naruto as hokage at times, especially when it came to important meetings. Reporting to him felt unnatural, but he realized it was due to being away for so long. Again, he had to ignore the effect of his absences.

 _\- FLASHBACK_

 _"_ _Sasuke," Naruto said with pitying eyes. It was slightly annoying to see it. "Come back quickly after following up the mess with these clones."_

 _"_ _Of course, I will."_

 _"_ _No, you won't. That's why I'm telling you to do so. You have two months."_

 _"_ _I'm not a child, Naruto," Sasuke said, feeling slightly offended at such a restriction. He needed at least 6 months to double check areas that he visited years ago for any traces of Kaguya or these clones._

 _"_ _No, but you have one waiting for your return," Naruto replied with ease. "And Sakura-chan can't continue to be a single-mother."_

 _"_ _She's not a single-mother. My family will be fine," Sasuke said stiffly. They were able to get on well without him, right? He wouldn't be gone for years this time. His plan was for months at a time. This would be fine._

 _"_ _Yes, but not for long. I can sense their frustration and anger – especially Sakura's."_

 _"_ _I will take care of family business when I return if that's your worry." Sasuke began to head out the door, and purposely ignored Naruto's last comment._

 _"_ _It's not family 'business,' you asshole, it's your goddamn wife and daughter we're talking about –ttebayo..."_

 _\- END FLASHBACK_

"Tch," Sasuke said to no one in particular. He would be home soon enough.

He noticed a hawk following him from a distance. Odd. He was sure he didn't summon it. It was heading straight towards him, and he wondered if Naruto was again trying to persuade him to come home. The hawk was carrying something light-bluish, a significant contrast from regular parchment that was typically yellow or white.

 _That's one of Sakura's slugs,_ he realized. He felt his stomach churn, as he wondered if his family was in trouble, or if his wife was absolutely done with him this time. He stopped walking and waited for the hawk to drop the slug into his hand. He noticed the anxious looks shared between the slug and the hawk and wondered how grave the situation was at home. The hawk vanished immediately as the slug started to speak.

 _Is Sakura and Sarada okay?_ _Where is Naruto?_ he asked himself, angry that he didn't voice it immediately.

"Sasuke-sama, urgent news!" Katsuyu said. "Sakura-sama has requested for you to return immediately!"

"What is the problem, Katsuyu?" Sasuke asked. _I'm sure Sakura said "demand" and you're being kind to me._

"The hokage has gone missing, and there has been an attempt to murder his family!"

"What?!" Sasuke said, astonished that someone was able to kidnap someone as powerful as Naruto.

"Sakura-sama has provided me as she wants you to be in full health by the time you reach the village," Katsuyu said. "I will also keep you updated on events so that no time is wasted on briefing."

"Thank you, " Sasuke said, as he put Katsuyu under his collar. "We will be in Konoha in ten days. Are Sakura and Sarada okay?"

"Yes they are fine-oh dear. This is terrible! Sakura-sama absolutely **demands** you to be home as soon as possible," Katsuyu said quickly.

"What happened?"

"Sarada-chan has just now been attacked."

Sasuke wasted no time reacting to Katsuyu's report, as he took a moment to take a breath and close his eyes. This was his fault, he knew. Had he stayed home, there was a chance that he could have sensed someone lurking in the village. He could have helped Naruto against this nameless enemy, and he could have prevented this current attack on his daughter. He could have done so much more. He knew Sakura would heal their daughter quickly, but he could not forgive himself for being absent during this critical time.

Upon opening his eyes, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and ran at full speed. This took Katsuyu by surprise.

"Sasuke-sama?"

"Five days."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

While Hinata and her children settled into an old, familiar home, she had flashbacks of her husband. Though she wanted to grieve for his lost, she held on to the strong hope that was he okay. She remembered him comforting her during her father's passing, and prayed that her husband was safe – wherever he was.

 _The funeral had just ended, and her heart was shattering watching Boruto and Himawari in doing their best not to cry in the rain. Naruto, her husband, had held both their hands after making a somber speech about the man who allowed him to marry his eldest daughter. She knew he didn't want to leave, but understood that this death could put the country into temporary danger. She walked up to Naruto and lightly squeezed his shoulder, urging him to take care of business. Earlier, she had witnessed his tears and thanked him quietly for loving a father that was once so cold to her. After they took the children back into the Hyuuga household, she and Naruto went into her father's private study._

 _"_ _Are you sure?" he asked while holding her hand. They spoke in hushed voices as if hiding from an enemy. It was important to keep the Hyuuga branches safe, as well as the wife and children of the hokage. Naruto took no chances shortly after hearing of his father-in-law's death and personally asked the Nara family to guard Hyuuga houses._

 _"_ _Of course, I don't want you to go," Hinata said, gripping her husband's shirt._

 _"_ _Then I won't."_

 _"_ _But you must. We are at peace for now, but my father's eyes must be disposed of. Please take it. I trust only you with it," Hinata said. Before the tears started to well up again, she felt his lips suddenly on hers and his strong arms encircling her waist. It calmed her – it always did._

 _"_ _Anything for you," Naruto said. "Please tell Boruto and Himawari that I had to go."_

 _"_ _Of course."_

 _He gave her another firm hug before leaving with Shikamaru._

She could not cry during this time. Crying was for those who were lost – and her husband was the last person who could fall towards such a fate.

As promised, Sasuke arrived home within five days. He immediately noticed the increase in security around various areas of Kohona, and became concerned about the wellness of his family.

"You may go back, Katsuyu. Thank you for your help," Sasuke said as he briefly glanced at the hokage monument. He always had mixed feelings about the leaders of his village, and had hoped for Naruto to fix past mistakes for future generations.

"Are you on your way to visit Sakura-sama?"

"I will go see Naruto's wife and talk to Shikamaru to gather information first." He didn't miss the slug's slight surprise, and knew this would be reported to this wife. Sakura would be furious again, for sure. What father would rush home only to visit his family last? It was a pragmatic choice, Sasuke reasoned. He knew Sarada would be healed, and that Sakura would be busy by this time. Before dissolving into smoke, Katsuyu guarded Sasuke carefully and schooled her tone when speaking.

"Very well. I'm sure Sakura-sama will be pleased to have you home."

While generally seen as subservient and demure, one would think Sakura's summon lacked ability in exercising sophisticated thought. On the contrary, Katsuyu was regarded as one of the most intellectual summons within this lifetime. She was not rash like a certain toad, or bargaining like a certain snake. She was keen in her observations, and gentle in her expressions. Firmness was not needed to convey a message when reality can serve as a better lesson. Katsuyu was often informed of Sasuke's growth from childhood simply through hearing talk from other summons, as well as comparing her notes to her current master's recent rants. It was not hard to see that this man was running away from every difficult responsibility in his life. However, it was not her place to correct such behavior – if she did that, she would have corrected her previous master, Tsunade, from going into depression with alcohol.

But she could certainly give veiled warnings.

Her goodbye message to Sasuke was said gently, but with weariness regarding what would certainly happen today.

 _Your wife is barely holding on to sanity._

Whether or not Sasuke chose to acknowledge it, Katsuyu did not care. However, she knew that by simply saying such a lie that Sasuke would already be thinking about his wife and child – and reflection, something that was clearly avoided, was all this shinobi needed to grow.

"Sarada, are you okay?"

"I said yes for hundredth time, Boruto," Sarada said dryly. Her mother had brought her to the Hyuuga Main House for a second time, and she was greeted with an ecstatic (though slightly guarded) Himawari and the ever worry-wart Boruto. Since the recent attack on her, she had been moving from house to house for the past five days.

Uchiha Sakura wasted no time being honest with Sarada once she reached 14 years old and took challenges meant for chuunin. Immediately after healing her daughter, Sakura assumed an authoritative, but kind demeanor and warned her daughter that they would moving soon and often. Sarada was well-healed and felt ready to take part in any upcoming battle, but she absolutely refused to say anything her mother about it. She could clearly see the stress in her mother's eyes, and it was hard to miss edge of frantic worry that she and the rest of Konoha had for the missing hokage.

"What about your stomach?" Boruto prodded. While she was aware of Boruto's tendency to be overly-cautious, she sometimes forgot about this keen ability to sense pain in just about anyone. This was the first time he mentioned any thoughts about her not feeling fully well, and he had already deducted what would occasionally ache every 30-40 hours. She had told no one at this point, and made sure to avoid telling her mother any moment of weakness.

"It's not a big deal, it happens just every-"

"-other day, right?" Boruto said. "You should tell your mom. I'm sure she can fix it."

"She's already busy looking for your _dad_ , doofus. She doesn't need me to bother her."

"You're not a bother to her," Boruto replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He had spent enough of his younger years playing at the Uchiha house to know that Auntie Sakura absolutely loved her daughter, and would do her best to remove any and all pain Sarada felt. One time they received various scratches from trying to build a fort using only kunais, and Sakura was quick to reprimand, heal, and reprimand them again.

If only Sasuke-sensei was the same. But Boruto wouldn't dare say anything about his master now.

"She just looks busy, Boruto. You don't need to worry about me," Sarada said.

" –'rada nee-chan," Himawari piped in, "I think you're okay for now." The younger Uzumaki had just entered the room. Her cautiousness was understandable as she was the first one to notice her missing dad. For someone so young as 10 years old, Himawari had a presence of mind that sometimes astounded adults. Quick to assess and act, she was almost a refined version of her brash brother. Absolutely no one would know that unless they were close to her – her cheery attitude was good at hiding her ability to go into quick rage. Since arriving yesterday, Sarada had felt climbs in Himarwari's chakra. It was a clear sign that young girl was understandably troubled.

"What do you mean?" Sarada said with raised brows. She didn't notice Boruto rolling his eyes at his sister.

"She used her byakugan to look at your insides," Boruto said. "Though Mom said she should not use it as often as she does these days. You don't want to go blind doing that crap, do you?"

"This was important – I thought maybe Nee-chan was sick!" Himawari whined.

"I'm not sick," Sarada said, not at all surprised or embarrassed of being looked over by someone she considered her sister. It did feel creepy, though.

"But your abdominal muscles clenched during breakfast when you were eating eggs.

"And?" Sarada asked.

"It's as if you didn't want to eat 'em."

"So?"

"You _love_ eggs _,"_ Himawari reasoned, with arms crossed.

There was a huge difference between how the two Uzumakis stated their "facts," Sarada noted. The older one expressed it in a tone that seemed to innocently say "I thought everyone knew that?". It was gentle, but could easily be ignored if one tried hard enough, which is exactly what Sarada did. Boruto lacked the same intensity as his father; those piercing blue eyes did not to make her admit defeat just yet.

The other one, however, expressed her matter-of-fact message with deceiving cheerfulness. That smile clearly said "Don't. Try. Me."

Sarada was not one to admit defeat to this Uzumaki either, but before she could retort with another veiled excuse, she saw a familiar dark cape pass by the window. She held her breath in anticipation and was at lost for words. She dared not to hope, but her thoughts already had her beaten with a painful question.

 _Was that Papa just now?_

When the Uzumaki family arrived at the Main House, Hinata commanded all residents to resume a defense position and sent out a young, unassuming scout to inform Shikamaru of the situation. The young shinobi found Ino Yamanaka, a secondary advisor to Shikamaru, instead. Ino was known for her prowess in telepathy, and immediately put her skills to use by contacting her old teammate.

 _Shika. Naruto is missing – his family is at the Main Hyuuga House. There are no critical injuries that their healers have not already addressed,_ she said to Shikamaru.

 _Contact Sakura to double check their health in case something was laced with the explosion, and then contact all shinobi to resume a defensive position around major Konoha buildings,_ Shikamaru replied immediately. Years of working together and a war that threatened their lives had allowed them to switch from domestic life to military commands. However, Shikamaru noted Ino's difficulty in maintaining her link. She would need a break immediately after contacting all shinobi forces or she would faint.

 _Ino, I'm going to Hinata to find more information. Sai is with me right now, and I will send him to retrieve you._ Though they only had a telepathic connection, Shikamaru could somehow feel a slight rise in chakra in Ino. He didn't have time to shake his head at the fact that Ino was still an in-love school girl with her husband. Despite being married, he still didn't understand the female mind.

At the very least, she maintained her tone of voice.

 _Alright. Did you want a team to survey the house? Sai and I can meet and go after I -_

 _No, Ino. We can send another team – you just arrived home an hour ago. We need stability first before addressing anything._

 _I already have details from the Hyuuga scout to give you._

 _It's alright – Hinata can tell me more in person rather than the summary. We have time._

After Sakura received Ino's telepathic message, she immediately left Sarada to Shizune and went to see Hinata. Hinata's wounds consisted of mild burns, and her children for the most part were unharmed. They were clearly shocked, but otherwise unharmed. When Shikamaru arrived to ask questions, Sakura was suddenly contacted by Ino again; Sarada had just been attacked at that point.

After healing her daughter, Sakura decided it was best to move from house to house to avoid the young Uchiha from being targeted again. For five days, they moved in this manner and only stayed with members from the original Rookie Nine. Last night was their second time visiting the Hyuugas. Today, Shikamaru had asked to speak to her, Hinata, as well as Ino and Sai. They held the meaning within one of the many rooms of the Branch House. Just as the entire Hyuuga domain, this room was heavily guarded – and all their children stayed at the Main House.

"How is Sarada-chan?," Sai asked. He and Shikamaru had just arrived from a meeting with Naruto's supervisors, as well as the last two hokages.

"She's fine. She's had stomach issues every once in a while, but she hasn't told me yet," Sakura said with a weary smile.

"Goodness, that girl is really a rascal – hiding a stomach ache from the world's top medic-nin," Ino commented dryly. "Stubborn like you, eh Forehead?"

Sakura appreciated the light jab, as Ino knew how afraid Sakura was for her daughter. There was always a chance that someone wanted Uchiha blood, and Sarada could be the target for anything since she had learned how to activate her eyes. Since Naruto's absence, Sakura did not feel that her daughter, or the rest of the village for that matter, was safe. She cursed herself once again on her overreliance on her childhood friend but schooled herself to aid her village once more during this time of crisis.

"This coming from you, Ino-pig?" she responded with a more colorful grin. Sai stood next to his wife, assuming a stiff and yet comfortable position. Like Hinata, he stayed quiet during their banter and would keep a light smile to avoid being caught in the fire.

"That's good at the very least," replied Shikamaru. He locked eyes with Hinata for a brief moment, as if asking for permission about what he was about to say. Hinata nodded lightly in response, with an intensity that he could not quite understand. There was a different air to the hokage's wife, and Shikamaru had initially assumed it was depression. Rather than cry, stutter, or show intense emotions of grief, Uzumaki Hinata almost assumed a military stance when not around her children. It was a departure from the image Shikamaru had of the nurturing, always smiling wife of Naruto. Deciding to steer the conversation to more serious matters, Shikamaru began to speak about his meeting with the kages.

"I called this private meeting because I just met up with the Konoha's top advisors and previous hokages." The aura of the room changed dramatically, as the seasoned shinobi ceased smiling and began to listen intently.

"Tsunade-shishou and Kakaishi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"The very same. There's been debate about who will take over as acting hokages, and both of them refused."

"You're kidding!" Sakura exclaimed. Both her and Hinata noticed the quiet laugh that came from Naruto's advisor. It seemed sardonic at best, which confused Sakura.

"Then you're clearly the next best choice, Shika" Ino said, with arms crossed. "You've already been handling things for the past five days."

"I refused as well, " Shikmaru said. "I heard my dad turn down the position during the war, as it was more important to maintain his supervisor status and do tactical planning. I'm rejecting the title for the same reasons. Right now we need someone who can calm the crowds and facilitate calm, daily living for Konoha citizens. The hokage will still assist in managing shinobi forces, but I know I'm the best suited in that area. And I can't effectively manage the village while being the only one manning the search for the Seventh."

"I see," Sakura said, nodding. Shikamaru was always best at assessing all aspects of the situation. "That makes perfect sense."

"It took a while to weave through potential candidates, but there was a consensus for one person," Shikamaru said. "That's why I called for this meeting."

"So who's it going to be, Shika?" Ino asked, already getting impatient.

Shikamaru turned and looked at the only pink-haired household mom in the room.

"Sakura," he said.


End file.
